Abstract:

According to the secondary school mathematics curriculum, students should be able to interpret the results of the analysis of a data set given in the context of statistical literacy when they complete the eighth grade (MoNE, 2018). However, studies have stated that the percentage of students with a low statistical literacy level was relatively high (Çatman Aksoy, 2018; Yolcu, 2014). Moreover, there is a limited study about the students’ level of statistical literacy components. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the eighth-grade students’ statistical literacy levels in terms of one of the statistical literacy components, the interpretation of the results, with a contextual task about daily diet. In this study, a qualitative research design was used, and the data were collected from 248 eighth-grade students in four different cities in Turkey using convenience sampling. Considering the objectives of the Turkish mathematics curriculum (2018), a contextual task was prepared as a data collection tool, including four open-ended questions about daily diet. Data analysis was made with an analytic rubric regarding the statistical literacy levels and objectives in Sharma and her colleagues' four-stage statistical literacy framework (2011). The highest score for correct answers and explanations to the questions is 4, while the lowest score for incorrect answers is 0.

The results show that 4.84% of the students had high statistical literacy skills in interpreting the results component. Also, considering the cities, the percentages of students with high statistical literacy in the interpretation of the result component are 2.41%, 4.00%, 10.53%, and 3.45%.

The results show low percentages of students with high statistical literacy in interpreting the results component of the daily diet task. In light of the findings, educators and other stakeholders might consider reviewing and potentially revising the objectives and time allocation for the instruction of statistical knowledge in the curriculum. Also, increasing the number of in-service courses for teachers could provide valuable insights and benefit the efficiency of statistics lessons in the school. Furthermore, to enhance our understanding of students’ statistical literacy, future research could delve into the various components, and it provides more information that would be beneficial to inform our decision-making and improve our educational outcomes.

Keywords:

Statistical Literacy, Interpretation of the Results, Contextual Task.